Sleep deprivation procedure produces stomach lesions in rats

Sprague-Dawley male rats were deprived of food for 40 hr and subjected to sleep deprivation by the "flower pot" or handling intervention procedures during the final 24 hr. Five of six rats in the flower pot group exhibited stomach erosions. Only one rat in the handling group, and no rats in a food deprived control group showed such erosions. The flower pot group also had higher levels of corticosterone than the food deprived control group. These findings argue for more serious consideration of the effects of the stress of procedures for sleep deprivation.